Equals
by dorotdsz
Summary: Ginny has her own doubts about Harry and herself getting together. How will Harry convince her?


Equals

It was slightly over a month of battle, and Voldemort was finally defeated. The Wizarding world had mourned and rejoiced simultaneously. The Weasleys were back at the Burrow along with Hermione and Harry. Everyone had grieved in their own way for the fallen.

Harry had slipped under his invisibility cloak and had spent hours under a tree near the lake. He had cried for all those who died trying to do the right thing. It reminded him of poor Teddy Lupin. Harry had gone to visit Andromeda and his godson during those days. He had vowed that he would take care of Teddy.

After a month, when he started to feel that he was able to pick up the pieces of his life and put them together he couldn't bring himself to thank Ron and Hermione who had stood beside him no matter what. He also owed so much to one particular soul whom he had hurt the most. One fine day he decided to tell Ginny everything and thought of doing so that night. He had seen her many times at the Burrow. She was pale and thin, yet she looked strong minded and firm to him. They hadn't spoken much since the war except for the etiquettes required. Yet there were some stolen glances and very rarely their eyes locked. And when that happened she would tear away the gaze. Ginny had decided that she would not go running to him, kiss him as a needy, though her heart ached to do so. As much as she was grateful to him for saving the Wizarding world, he had to explain a lot of things to her. He had broken up with her during Dumbledore's funeral and she wanted him to turn things around. Only she felt the pain of being left out, shunted aside. She was not ready to let it go easily, and had given him enough space and time. After a while she started to have doubts whether Harry wanted a future with her or not. But she was firm on not making the first move.

On that particular night, Harry had decided to tell her everything. He came downstairs, his invisibility cloak on, waiting only for her. After a while she came downstairs; he took time to watch her beautiful and peaceful face. Then there was a sudden rattling sound and Harry grabbed his wand and held it ready. Ginny opened the box from where the sound came and there was Boggart, which had made its way itno the Burrow while rebuilding,and stood there in front of Ginny, in the form of 16 year old Tom Riddle.

"Well, well, we meet again, little Ginny," said Boggart Riddle.

Harry was about to say the spell when Ginny composed herself and shouted "Riddikulus!" Harry could not hide the smirk that formed on his face as he felt the tinge of pride and admiration for her. But then his mouth fell open when the Boggart took his form. He couldn't quite understand why Ginny was afraid of him.

"Well, you thought that we could get back together, didn't you?" said Boggart Harry.

Ginny was dumbstruck.

"How thick headed can you be? You are in no way my equal and that's why I left you behind, unlike Ron and Hermione," said the Boggart.

At this Ginny opened her mouth and said, "I thought you believed in us."

Boggart Harry said, "Stop dreaming about us, because you will always be Ron's little sister, and nothing more than that."

Ginny's face, which had been peaceful a little while back, had gone chalk white and she still managed to cry "Riddikulus!" and hurried to her room. Harry's heart went out for her; he felt a similar ache when he had seen her in his last moments. He wanted to run to her, hold her, caress her, kiss her and say that he would never, ever leave her. But then thought she might mistake him for a Boggart and might not believe him. He waited thinking she might come downstairs after a while, but found himself waiting for her the whole night.

The following morning, Ginny woke up late and came downstairs to find her family, except the trio, leaving to meet Aunt Muriel and thank her for all the help she had provided when they went into hiding. After they flooed, she heard Harry call out her name, "Ginny." She felt her heart skip a beat, for she had not heard him call out her name in over a year.

"I need to talk with you," was all he said.

The previous night's Boggart incident flew into Ginny's mind, and she decided to stay strong and not show any of her emotions of how much she still loved him, in case he wanted to say he didn't see any future with her ever even after Voldemort was gone.

They went out to Harry's favourite tree near the lake. Harry didn't know where to start. Although he had loads to tell her, he opened and closed his mouth several times before he started telling her how Dumbledore and he learned about the Horcruxes Tom Riddle made, how they had hunted every single one of them, How he had missed her, how he used to stare at her dot on Marauder's map, how mad he had been when Bellatrix's curse missed her by inches. He explained that, in order to destroy Riddle, he had had to give himself up and how that provided the protection for all. He was overcome with emotion by now and couldn't go on. Ginny was hugging her knees and crying bitterly for all his sacrifice to ensure everyone a better future. She suddenly felt that Boggart Harry was right, and she was no way equal to him. She got up and ran back to the house with Harry behind her calling out her name. She hurried past Ron and Hermione to her room.

Harry hesitated a minute before entering her room, but he wanted to know what was happening. He found her looking through the window and avoiding his gaze.

"I am not your equal, Harry, you should find someone who matches you," she said slowly.

Anger started to build within him, hadn't he just told her how much he had missed her? Were all Weasleys at one point in their life act unreasonable? He remembered Ron acting funny before he had left them to join again later. Likewise would Ginny realize later that she was his equal? No! He couldn't wait for her to realize; he had to do it now, the Boggart incident had shaken her.

"You are my equal," he shouted at the top of his voice.

Ron and Hermione, who were downstairs and had witnessed both Harry and Ginny in an awkward chase, fled to Ginny's room. They found Ginny having a stubborn look even as tears fell off her cheeks and Harry flaring with anger.

"Did you hurt her?" blurted out Ron.

Both Harry and Ginny ignored him.

"You are the Boy Who Lived, the Chosen One, Saviour of the Wizarding World," said Ginny knowing how much he hated those titles and wanted just to be Harry.

This really threw Harry off-guard and he heard himself yell, "Before the curse hit me, you were the last thing I thought about. Not Ron, not Hermione, nobody but you. How your lips felt on mine, how I would not be able to kiss you again, how I would not have a future with you, which I had longed for! Maybe that is why I came back and now am here begging you."

There was a pregnant pause where everybody was trying to sink in what he had just said. Even Harry was trying to adjust to the situation. He had always imagined that he would say all those things to Ginny in soft, kind words rather than screaming. He would definitely not tell those thoughts to Ron and Hermione ever. Those were his thoughts about Ginny and wanted to tell her privately and had even hoped for some intimate moments. But here he had screamed those feelings to her in front of his two best friends, one of them her brother.

During this pause, a realization dawned on Ginny: that Harry saw her as his equal. She had been his hope and comfort during those darks days. She saw herself from Harry's eyes. When the Golden Trio were hunting Horcruxes, Ginny and her friends were down protesting against the Carrows, trying to resist the regime of Snape, undergoing Cruciatus curse, kept D.A. working, which proved of utter importance at the end.

He saw her as his soul mate, source of comfort and, most importantly, home. This was something very special, because nobody could take that away from her. It was her place in Harry's life where even Ron and Hermione couldn't step in. It was her fear that led Boggart Harry to say such things, and real Harry had not once mentioned that. Whatever the world saw her as, whether she was his equal or not, Ginny didn't care now. For Harry thought her to be his equal match and that's what mattered.

Seeing her eyes and expression soften, Harry slowly walked towards her cupped her face and when she didn't resist he kissed her. Then Ginny was kissing him with same enthusiasm. Even Ron didn't mind them this time and Hermione had tears in her eyes. After a few minutes when the need for air was necessary they broke apart and found Ron and Hermione still staring. Both blushed to the colour of Ginny's hair.

Harry looked down at her and said in a teasing voice, "Tom Riddle was not able to get rid of me, neither will you."

"I could get used to that," Ginny murmured with the same teasing voice.

Then they heard the rattling sound from downstairs. Before either of them could mention the Boggart, Ron and Hermione were there and already opening the box. Harry and Ginny hurried too. On seeing four people, the Boggart took the form which all of them dreaded, A ready to duel Mrs Weasley.

Author's notes: This was my first ever fanfic. I see so much room for improvement, but it was the first step for learning process, so I've left it untouched. Enjoy!


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